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Virtual Reality and why I’m all in.

The one and only time the actor Sinbad has ever been a part of something that had a lasting impression on me is the scene from “First Kid” where the son of the President of the United States plays the virtual reality game Dactyl Nightmare. Every since that scene I have had an interest in virtual reality, but I could never justify pulling the trigger on a VR headset until the Playstation VR debuted. It brought virtual reality in close reach by being the first affordable option for me to consider. Oculus Rift and the Vive weren’t options for me as they had high price points to begin with plus the added fact I would have to have a computer able to run them.

When the PSVR first came out I almost picked one up the first week it was out, but at the time spending the $500 on the bundle with the controllers as well as the camera just wasn’t in my cards. After patiently waiting and reading up/watching youtube videos about the PSVR I finally found my opportunity to jump in head first (pun intended). And this is where I not no subtly slide a game hunting tip in. Most retail stores are bound by their signage when it comes to prices. If you ever run across a deal too good to be true there’s a chance that it was priced wrong, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t buy the item still for that “too good to be true” price. In this case I caught Target *Sorry my Canadian Friends to bring up a lost loved one* in the midst of restocking the $500 PSVR bundle. Since that bundle had seemed to never be returning to store shelves again I think when they got new stock in it came as a surprise to the employees, so they put it on the shelf in the same spot where the $400 PSVR core headset normally sits. Because the shelf sits in a display case that is locked the only people who have access to it our the employees. That means when I came around and saw it sitting there I took advantage and was able to snag the bundle for the same price as the core system. Throw in the fact that I used my redcard and saved 5% and it took the overall price of the bundle down to $380 before tax. I have been playing the crap out of my PSVR and I am loving every second!

Let me preface this next segment by saying I know that Virtual Reality is not for everyone. Hell I had no idea if it was going to be for me until I gave it a whirl. There are many reasons why I am more than happy with my purchase. The first reason is that the PSVR is creating a social hangout in my living room that hasn’t always been there. I have had my family over multiple times just to have little mini VR parties. See, my family are not really gamers by any stretch of the imagination. So being able to include them in an experience and not simply playing a video game has been so much fun. Virtual Reality brings me back to a nostalgic time in the past where playing video games was only one part of the experience of gaming. I remember taking turns with my brother playing Morrowind on the Xbox and Fallout 2 on the PC. When I wasn’t playing I was watching and being immersed in the whole experience of gaming regardless if I was the one holding the controller or sitting at the keyboard. Now with the PSVR some of the most fun is watching the person wearing the headset get the shit scared out of them on Rush of Blood, watching their reaction as they marvel at the underwater vista in Playstation Worlds, or seeing the excitement as they are putting on the cowl and cape for the first time as Batman in Batman VR. You get to be part of those experiences and share the memories even if your not the one physically playing.

Lastly with VR I am finally able to immerse myself in a virtual world. I never truly felt apart of Tamriel, Hyrule, or the Mushroom Kingdom. That barrier of seeing the world through a television screen has always left me just slightly out of total immersion. When I put that VR headset on, strap headphones over my ears, and pick up those motion controllers I feel totally immersed in the world that the game developer has made for me. I can’t wait to see what the future of VR holds and the worlds and experiences I get to be apart of. I know that most people find Virtual Reality to be a gimmick, but I couldn’t disagree more. To me VR is just another way to further flush out great storytelling, settings, and gameplay. Before you speak bad about VR please find a friend that has one you can try out and play a couple of levels of Rush of Blood. You will have an absolute blast and so will all the other people in the room who watch you jump out of your chair and sling a string of expletives at the giant spiders, clowns, and monstrosities that await around ever turn!

Virtual Reality is making gaming an experience again and its an experience like no other.

4 thoughts on “Virtual Reality and why I’m all in.”

Without a doubt, VR is the future of the gaming industry. The technology is still new so there’s still the problems of headaches and it being too expensive for the mainstream gaming audience, but once those things are fixed in a few years, it’s going to be wild.

I’m personally hoping for an Elder Scrolls VI VR experience a few years down the line when the tech becomes more stable. That would just be incredible. 😀

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